Draft Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP

[Ron.38 Special]

Ok guys,

Here we go.

NMFS has announced their Draft Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan and Enviromental Impact Study is available on their web site for review.

This is our public comment period on how our fish will be managed for the foreseeable future. This affects everyone of us and addresses all HMS issues we care about including Swordfish, Billfish, sharks, and Tuna.

The proposed rule will be published August 19.

If you are a regulatory nerd like myself, you can view the document at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ or go to www.nmfs.noaa.gov and go to the HMS link under sustainable fisheries.

Its a long document and will take some time to review. There will be public hearings in Key West, Ft. Laud, and Ft. Pierce for us sfla fisherman and lots of other public meetings in other areas .

There are already some scary things with one alternative to regulate beeper bouys, or better said allow beeper bouys. There is no regulation in one alternative and would allow as many hooks as a pelagic longline to be fished from one boat. This is just one alternative and its not time to get upset yet.

Read what you can if you want to keep catching these fish. We need to make sure we have a professional thoughtfull approach to the public hearings to get the best bang out of these things.

If anyone is interested, email or call me and I will let you know when we can get together a group of the "regulatory nerds" in the Southeast Swordfish Club to develop the response and comments of the club on this very important issue.

We will obviously be looking to the IGFA, Billfish Foundation and the Recreational Fishing Alliance to lead the recreational response to this document.

[FinalPoint]

Good going Ron...keep up the lookout.